Summer has reached its end [insert sad face here] and the school year is here. That means it’s time to put down that ice-cold beer and pick up your laptop, because the search for apartments and houses in Cedar Falls begins again!

Finding a home that isn’t the stereotypical college house (damaged, dirty, and in an area infested by party-crazed college animals) is harder than it may seem. Worry not, because we have the tools necessary for you to get through these stressful times with ease. We have done our research, so you don’t have to. We searched long and hard for the best landlords in the Cedar Falls area near the University of Northern Iowa.

Thankfully for us, quite a few residents left some very helpful feedback. So we’ve sifted through luxurious apartments to residences unfit for well…anyone and have come up with the best of the best!

Reviews of Rent Cedar Valley center on the superior maintenance and communication they offer, which is incredible when considering the vast number of properties the company maintains. Multiple reviewers commented on how long they’ve been renting with Rent Cedar Valley, with one reviewer mentioning she’d been at RCV properties for over five years! While they most frequently serve students at the University of Northern Iowa, Rent Cedar Valley has enough properties across all of Cedar Falls that you may be interested in sticking with them even past graduation.

“With a commitment to invest in and improve the campus area, Rent Cedar Valley consistently updates properties for students, ” said Chris Olson, Vice President at Rent Cedar Valley. “These properties often come with amenities like lawn care, high-speed internet, cable, and other utilities 100% included.”

“When I first moved in, I only signed up for a 6 month lease but I loved it so much that I have already renewed my lease twice! Wonderful amenities, great management, quick and efficient maintenance team, fun and up & coming location, very clean, and beautifully updated. I’m thrilled that I was able to find a rental that was also so pet friendly!”

CVPM is all service. They take care of residents and management is very hands on with any concerns. They have a variety of houses and apartments throughout Cedar Falls that cater to both undergrads and grad students at Northern Iowa.

“We like to keep renting simple and easy,” said Tim Hoekstra, owner of Cedar Valley Property Management. “Our office and maintenance team strives to take good care of our renters!”

We have lived here for two years and loved every minute! New management (Tim with Cedar Valley Property Management) took over in September, 2015, and they do an AWESOME job! The apartments are really quiet and you can’t hear your neighbor. Parking is easy and you can take the bus to campus if you want. If I wasn’t graduating I would renew. Rent here if you want a nice place to live near campus.

Unexpected move-out? No problem. The management at Thunder Ridge understands that sometimes things happen that aren’t always in our control. A landlord whose sole focus isn’t revolved around draining you of every penny you have is always something that should be appreciated.

If you have any issues with your apartment, all it takes is one phone call to have someone come up to your apartment and immediately resolve the issue. Helpful doesn’t even begin to describe the staff at Thunder Ridge.

Here is a favorite review:

“I have lived at Thunder Ridge Apartments for about one year now and am about to renew my lease. I have to say that this is one of the best apartment complexes that I have lived in. The management is absolutely phenomenal. If you ever have a problem they are willing to bend over backwards for you. What I particularly like about this complex is that it is mostly filled with young professionals and/or graduate students like myself. It is extremely quiet and you very rarely hear your neighbors. Management does not tolerate disturbances or loud and obnoxious neighbors. This is important to me because I am always either studying or working. Management is upfront with you about this policy before you even move in…”

The University Manor Apartments are quite literally a home away from home. The warm welcomes and friendly staff do a great job in making everyone feel like they are a top priority. In our opinion, the best type of staff is one that makes you feel like you’re the only tenant they have, when we all know they have many other residents they need to care for as well. It doesn’t stop there.

They keep the grounds in pristine condition and the option to customize your apartment remains open. If you want your walls to be lime-green, go ahead. If you’re happy, they’re happy.

Our favorite review:

“I lived at University Manor for 2 years. As a graduate student, a quiet, safe community was a must! I can’t say enough about Randy and his staff. The building was always clean and well-maintained, the workout room is convenient and updated, and my questions were addressed quickly. For instance, I had a strange noise coming from my smoke alarm and I notified the staff. The same day, they had someone from the alarm company out to look at it. I needed a new one, and it was replaced right away.”

Living somewhere nice doesn’t always have to be expensive. The Hillcrest Park Apartments understands that having an affordable rent doesn’t mean that there needs to be a cut-back anywhere else. They pride themselves on providing top-notch service. Oh no! Is your sink broken? Most places would tell you to put in a service request, and they would get to it when they can. But not Hillcrest. If your sink is broken, expect for it to be fixed the same day you send in your request. How’s that for good service?

“I love living at Hillcrest and I would recommend living here for anyone! First of all, it is very affordable-both rent and utilities. Second, working with management has been phenomenal. Every time we had to put in a service request, it was fixed within a day. Management was also very helpful when we were trying to find additional roommates. Third, Hillcrest offers lots of amenities and fun programs to participate in.”

Do you like coffee? Pastries? If you said yes to both of those questions and are considering renting from Hidden Valley Apartments, you’ve made the right choice. Courtesy of the super-friendly staff, there’s coffee and pastries in the central office 24/7 for tenants. We don’t know about you, but having a free cup of coffee and donut every morning sounds pretty swell to us.

As you can tell by now, the staff goes above and beyond to make their tenants feel welcomed and appreciated. The service doesn’t just stop at sweets. Their excellent service also carries over into being helpful and professional when it comes to maintenance issues. They genuinely want their residents to have a good experience with them. Therefore, when a problem arises, the staff quickly responds.

Our favorite review:

“I was moving to Cedar Falls and needed an apartment fast. I was able to see an apartment immediately and received great service. The management got back to me right away and was extremely helpful, making the leasing and moving in process very easy. When moving in the carpets were cleaned and everything was fixed and patched and freshly painted. It’s a great apartment and I am loving it so far.”

Nothing is better than being appreciated by your landlord. With giveaway prizes, free food, and coffee, it’s clear that University Mills values their tenants. The social atmosphere also allows for residents to get out of the house and do something other than attend class. It can be hard to meet people when you’re sitting in a lecture hall all day, but by living at University Mills, meeting people is not an issue. With tons of sponsored events, residents can get to know each other beyond the awkward half-smiles when passing in the halls.

“I lived at University Mills for 2 years! Now that I am graduated, I definitely miss the amazing customer service and atmosphere that University Mills provides. What other apartment complex is going to host residents parties, gives away groceries, free food, and free coffee! This place I will always miss!”

You don’t have to sacrifice service for a lower rent. Good service is something that can be offered anywhere. With this list, we hope that the stress of finding housing can come to an end, and you can pick back up that ice-cold beer and enjoy yourself once again. Stress-free.

Callie Kollenbroich has been the Operations Coordinator and Content Writer/Editor at Rent College Pads since 2015. When she’s not working, you can find her at home, eating peanut butter out of the jar and bingeing an unhealthy amount of Forensic Files. She’s not as lame as she sounds.